He is determined to hang on to that place, telling Liverpool’s official website: “At every club, you need at least two or three players in every position to keep people on their toes, but especially at a club like this.

“We’re fighting on many fronts – cup competitions and the league – so you have to be strong in every department. But competition brings the best out of players, and hopefully it will in me.

“My targets will be similar to when I got back into the team – enjoy it, work hard and play some good football like we did at the end of last season. If we play like that again as a team, we’ve got a real chance of success. I’ve just got to keep going.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool back-up striker Michael Ngoo has joined Championship side Yeovil on a season-long loan.

The 20-year-old, who has yet to make a first-team appearance for Liverpool since arriving from Southend in 2009, spent the second half of last season at Hearts.